Mariners, Dane Dunning Agree To Minor League Contract

"The Mariners are in agreement with righty Dane Dunning on a minor league deal, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive. That'll presumably come with a non-roster invite for the Wasserman client. Dunning is looking to rebound from a frustrating season. The former first-round draftee was limited to 12 big league appearances between the Braves and Rangers. He allowed a near-7.00 ERA across 20 2/3 innings out of the bullpen."

"The 31-year-old Dunning held a rotation spot for the Rangers from 2021-23. He fired a career-high 172 2/3 innings of 3.70 ERA ball for the World Series team in '23. He has never had big velocity or strikeout ability, but he's generally a solid strike-thrower who did a decent job avoiding hard contact during his best seasons. The home run ball has become a bigger issue over the past two years."

"Dunning can work as long relief or rotation depth at Triple-A Tacoma. He'd probably need multiple Spring Training injuries to get consideration for an Opening Day roster spot. Dunning obviously wouldn't crack Seattle's rotation if their top five starters are healthy, and most of their projected bullpen is out of minor league options. They don't have an especially deep rotation beyond their excellent front five, however. Logan Evans and Emerson Hancock would be their next men up."

The Mariners agreed with righty Dane Dunning on a minor-league contract that will presumably include a non-roster spring-invite. Dunning made 12 big-league appearances with the Braves and Rangers last season, posting a near-7.00 ERA across 20 2/3 relief innings. He spent most of his career as a starter and posted a 4.67 ERA with a 21.6% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate over 69 1/3 Triple-A innings. The 31-year-old held a Rangers rotation spot from 2021–23, throwing a career-high 172 2/3 innings of 3.70 ERA work in 2023. Dunning offers strike-throwing control but declining homer control and limited velocity. He projects as long relief or Triple-A rotation depth behind Seattle’s top five.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors